


Blackwatch Boxing

by Mirdala



Series: Blackwatch Boxing AU [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boxing, Alternate Universe - Police, Boxer!Reyes, Detective!Jack, Detective!Morrison, Fight Training, Gangs, M/M, MMA, Martial Arts, boxer!gabe, boxing au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-03-22 05:46:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13757553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirdala/pseuds/Mirdala
Summary: Gabe runs a boxing gym and in an effort to put the local police at ease with the respect local gangs give him he is convinced by his war buddy Detective Jack Morrison to hold a self defense class for the department.





	1. SPEAR

**Author's Note:**

> Been sitting on this one for a LONG while. I wanted to fill in the gaps before [ The Fighter & The Crimelord ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12791388/chapters/29191455) started that focused on Gabe and Jack's relationship with each other. So here's the back story!!!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Tags will be adjusted in coming chapters.

Gabe stands up from arranging a small pile of gear resting on the matted gym floor. Lined up along the edge of the mats are nine sets of two pairs of light weight punching gloves, punching and kicking pads, and two helmets. He paces the line up and runs over a check list for the class about to start. The class is for the LA police department, a gesture of goodwill. Coming back from the war a local hero, Gabe thought he wouldn’t have any issue with the boys in blue. Turns out LAPD didn’t like the respect the local gangs showed Gabe and his establishment. It baffled them and while Gabe wasn’t going to share the how and why he gained deference from the remnants of LA’s underbelly, he was more than willing to show that he was in fact on LAPD’s side.

He was given that chance when the new transfer into the precinct was sent to have a chat with him. Word is Gabriel Reyes is intimidating as fuck, standing at six foot one and 180 pounds of thick muscle, face grim, battle scars across his face. But the new cop having just been promoted to detective didn’t bat an eye and headed right over with his temporary assigned soon-to-be-retiring partner. Gabe was taken aback when a familiar face strode across the gym straight for him, ice blue eyes glinting with mischief, then dropped low to spear him.

“Morrison! What the hell!” Gabe laughed as he was lifted into the air by Morrison and thrown over his shoulder into a fireman carry. Those in the gym laughed and chuckled as Gabe was manhandled by some stranger having just walked in. Once back on his feet Gabe clapped Morrison on his shoulder catching him in a hand shake with a free hand that pulled him into a quick hug where they thumped their palms flat on each other’s back.

“When did your lily-white ass get into LA? You should have messaged me.” Gabe gave him a shove, all smiles. Morrison swatted away the hand as he exaggerated the affects of the push from Gabe.

“Damn Reyes, you cutting loose now that you’re a civvie? I don’t remember you being this damn heavy even in full gear.”

“Oh those are fighting words, Morrison.” Morrison and Gabe playfully jabbed at each other feet dancing across the mats to avoid one another. Morrison’s partner left dumbstruck to the side.

Staff Sergeant Jack Morrison and Captain Gabriel Reyes met in the war. An unorthodox fireteam had been put together with Captain Reyes taking point. To say the least, the team succeeded in their mission. Medals were passed out and when the war ended, they went home.

Being war buddies, it didn’t take a lot of arm twisting from Jack to have Gabe agree to doing some pro-bono classes for the department. Jack was not impressed with the level of skill retained by the precinct’s beat cops. His out spoken critique volunteered him to head up the training within the department. A mistake on their part since Jack in turn ran them into the ground.

Now they were about to get thrown into the ground by his war-buddy Reyes.

Gabe turns to the door when it opens, Jack stepping inside with in gym clothes and duffel slung over his shoulder.

“You’re nearly an hour early, Jack.”

“Yeah, wanted to get a warm up in.” He drops his shoulder so the duffel strap slides off, bag thudding on the floor. He steps up to Gabe, breaking any sense of a personal bubble. Gabe stands his ground, fighting the urge to tense. He knows that glint in Jack’s eyes.

“Knock yourself out. Got some things to handle before the class. Don’t break any of my equipment, Golden Boy.” Gabe says walking backward not missing the pinch in Jack's brow as he turned away before he backed into anything on the way to his office.

From the office he watches Jack get on the tread mill for a second, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing for brief moment. Eyes following the motion of Jack's legs and arms as he ran. The sound of his feet rhythmically slapping the belt of the machine fills the air and gives Gabe something to focus on in the present helping block out memories from the past while he works on some last-minute invoices. The door to the gym opens again and a cacophony enters with a number of police officers.

Class in session.

“Alright, alright. Welcome to Blackwatch Boxing. This is my gym and you can call me Reyes.” He does his safety brief and have the group huddle around him, either sitting, kneeling or standing. He decides to start off with showing him mentality about self-defense.

“I have a big issue with a lot of defense training because—well here let me show you. Morrison come here.” Jack walks to the front of the group and stands at ease next to Gabe. Gabe turns to him and says “Alright lets practice getting out of a headlock.” Jack bends at the waist and offers his head for Gabe to put in a lock.

“See what he did?” Gabe puts a hand on Jacks head, getting quizzical looks from the group. “Just went and gave me the clearest of openings to do whatever I want.” Gabe guides Jack around with a firm hand on his head, Jack gripes at Gabe which gets a chuckle out of his officers. Gabe pushes Jack away for him to stand up.

“Put me in headlock.” Jack reaches for Gabe but his hands are swatted away. “Come on, _try_ Morrison.”

Jack shakes his head with smile. “Fine but you asked for it.”

Jack goes for Gabe again with a little more vigor. Gabe moves his hands up, palms open. He plants his left palm on Jacks chest pushing him back, his right palm still open goes to the side of his own face pushing outward to protect himself from Jack’s left arm trying to wrap around his neck. Gabe doesn’t let him get the headlock in.

“Most if not all self-defense classes train you to step into a headlock. As if a fight starts with a punk coming up saying, let’s fight, let me put you in a headlock. You get conditioned to let the threat, a headlock, get close, allowing yourself to be put into one so then you can use the counters. This disregards the entire first half of the confrontation.”

Gabe gives them more tools to use to help them manage situations, so it doesn’t get to the point of physical violence. The officers get some much-needed practice in defusing situations by taking into consideration their body language.

“Alright so let’s say you got someone coming up on ya. Walking like this.” Gabe pushes his shoulders back, arms bent slightly, fists clench, walking with a bit of a forward lean. It’s a threatening walk of a large man coming toward them looking pissed and ready to hurt them. The officer standing in front of him instantly puts their right foot back, right hand moving to their hip even though there’s no pistol. They freeze, panic flashing over their face.

“See what you did right there? You went in to a stance. You turned your body, to appear as a smaller target because smaller targets are harder to hit, ya? But you just escalated the situation by going to draw your weapon.”

By Gabe’s standard the class is a success. The officers definitely needed a refresher, giving them renewed confidence.

They help him pack up the gear at the end of class, everyone joking and laughing. Gabe telling embarrassing stories about Jack.

“And then, Sunshine here looks up at the First Sergeant. Straight in the face. And says, no. In a split second I knew I better step in or else I was going to be a witness to a murder.”

“It’s true. Saved my life then and there.” Jack tosses a pad into the basket holding its siblings. “See you all in the morning.” The officers leave and Jack finishes helping Gabe by hauling some of the kick mats back to the storage room.

“Thanks for the class. Guys really needed it.”

“Pfft, they need more than one class. If you can work with your Captain, I’d be willing to set up training sessions with the department.” Gabe flips off the light, locking the storage room door after it shut. “I’ll even give you a discount.”

He turns around straight into Jack.

“Whoa, Dios mío, Jack.” Gabe leans to take a side step but Jack mirrors him.

“Really boyscout? Me throwing you around for two hours wasn’t enough?”

“Getting thrown around by you isn’t anything new. Be just like old days.”

The old days weren’t that long ago. Gabe remembers the soft footsteps outside his room, during the few times the team had rooms to sleep in for a few days, then the soft tapping of a knuckle on the door. He remembers Jack standing in the doorway in the standard issue tan undershirt and grey sweats, a sharp smile on his lips as he entered the room and crashed into Gabe.

A fling. Fuck buddies. Stress relief. Whatever. Not that they had time to even talk about it to put a label on it.  It wasn’t serious. It couldn’t be, not with the chances of them dying the next time they stepped out of the wire. Plus, there was the whole fraternization aspect of it all. But that made it all the more dangerous and tempting, making him a repeating offender when Jack came knocking during their time together.

Gabe had squashed any feelings trying to take root. Just enjoyed the moments he had Jack pressed against him. Didn’t stop it from hurting like a shot to the gut when Jack walked away with a firm handshake, not even sparing a glance back once the team was disbanded after completing their mission.

“Things are different now Jack. Old days are gone.” Gabe tries to not let the unexpected bitter taste in his mouth bleed into his words. Jack takes a half step forward, chest brushing against Gabe’s.

“You’re right. I don’t have to worry about you being my senior officer anymore.”

Gabe hates how much he melts into the kiss.


	2. Dig Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe has a lot to think about. Good thing he has someone who can listen well. Sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Dig deep

Gabe heaves. He digs his heels into the ground, thighs thrusting his middle up by extending his bent knees. Back arching just slightly. A soft thump reverberating though his body causes a grunt of relief to escape him as his body relaxes. Lets his head fall back looking to the ceiling breathing heavy trying to steady himself.

“Right now. In this moment.” He says to the open air. “I hate you.”

The heavy punching bag leans against the stairwell wall sagging to the right with a bend in its middle. It has no scathing remark for Gabe’s temporary disdain. Gabe waves his hand at it dismissively.

“Yeah, yeah. I know what you’re going to say.”

He shimmies the bag across the stairwell landing to the next flight of steps. Two flights down, two to go. Getting the heavy bag up to the roof of the building was going to be a difficult task by all standards since there wasn’t an elevator.

He deepens his voice as he speaks aloud. “Reyes, get your shit together.”

Gabe knew he should wait for someone to help him. Going against his usual work smarter not harder ethic. He knows doing it by himself he could get injured or God forbid the bag gets damaged. If he had gotten his shit together he wouldn’t be hefting a nearly heavy punching bag up four flights of stairs.

“But listen. Hear me out. What if,” he grunts as he swings his arms around the bad to get into position in front of the next set of stairs, “we talk to him. Tell him how we feel. With words?”

A good work out, he had said off handedly when he dragged the bag to the staircase, his patrons and employees looking on incredulously. Idiot. But it did give him a chance to think through his current dilemma.  

“Be straight with him. We could say that we like the sex. A lot. The sex is great. Do a little chef’s kiss for flare, keep the mood light. Easing to the whole wanting more part…the dating…relationship part?” He decides to hold that thought to lift the bag up a few steps.

“At this point would it be dating or straight into a relationship?” Gabe realized his lack of experience for this situation, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, resting the bag against the wall a hand on top to stead it. He had dated on and off but owning and running a gym took a lot of time. If he hired more employees he could afford to take a day off.

Leave early for a night out.

Come in late after a night out.

He would have time to another…commitment.

He dares to ask the question aloud.

“How serious are we thinking?”

A condo half way between the gym and the precinct popped into his head without hesitation. Maybe a beach house. Or just a house. With a California king bed to be pressed into by Jack’s weight on top of him. Lots of windows for natural light to halo around a head of blonde hair. A closet packed with gym clothes, military and police uniforms, and suit or two for date nights. A mix of Gabe’s city style and Jack’s farming roots. Photos of the two on vaca—

“Woah! Too serious.” Gabe shakes his head before thumping it against the bag, “Take it back a step Reyes. You’ll scare him away.” The bag lists to the side away from him as he rakes his hands through his hair. He lurches forward to stop the bag from diving down the stairs.

“Not helpful.” He gets back into position to lift the bag, glaring it in warning to not betray his efforts. After another few steps of progress he stops exasperated, flicking a hand at the bag ready to counter the argument proposed by the voice he’d given the bag.

 “Yes, yes, I know he’s gonna throw his job at me as an excuse. The whole, I could die any day I answer a call.” Gabe does his best impersonation of Jack’s gruff voice. He’s pretty spot on if he must say. “Yeah, well, I could get hit by a bus crossing the street. I got that covered. Not worried about that part.” He slides next to the bag, back against the wall.

“And you just sign a contract to do classes with his department.” His practical-business side took the moment to speak up at the behest of his you-worked-to-hard-for-this-to-throw-it-away-for-a-guy side as he took up the bag in his arms and started to traverse the steps. This side of him also took the liberty of dredging up memories of the past hurtles he faced when he came back to LA.

Getting the gym up and running was one thing, getting the gangs to leave him alone was a whole other endeavor. At least three of the bigger outfits tried to squeeze him for protection money or get him to train their enforcers or start an underground fighting ring. He dealt with break ins and stolen equipment. His customers getting harassed. His fighters being pulled back into the life they were trying to escape. The cops were too busy with the rampant drug, arms, and sex trafficking, the ever-climbing body count of homicides related to the vast range of illicit activity in LA. His issues were small potatoes to the overworked and understaffed police department. It took some doing, he’d done it before in his younger days, before joining the military.

The Reaper came back to the neighborhood.

An urban legend of decades ago, named by those who witnessed the vengeful spirit and lived to tell the tale. A monster from the darkness. A demon. A boogeyman. The older and wiser knew the dangers and quickly pulled away all assets when Reaper started cutting out a swath of territory that just happened to include Blackwatch Boxing. For months he picked apart operations. Shipments and deals gone bad. The police had more leads than usual. Local corrupted politicians were exposed. Then buildings were being tagged with his mark. A sun-bleached bone white stylized skull. Wasn’t his doing but the affect was appreciated. Hell, some kid started making hoodies and shirts with the skull on it. Gabe of course bought two of each. The neighborhood started to fight back against the criminal element constantly leeching off its youth taken advantage of the break in the criminal underground. Blackwatch Boxing was at the forefront with after school programs and charity events. And just as soon as he appeared Reaper vanished into the darkness of the city.

To this day no one knows it was him which he thinks is amazing since his fighting name was Gabriel “The Reaper” Reyes back in the day and his habit for the having a dramatic flare. Maybe it was his smiling and joking that threw people off. The snarky guy that volunteered to help with making costumes for the high school plays in the area couldn’t be Reaper. Gabe loves when people don’t see what’s right in front of them.

His mind circled back around reminding him that getting good the with police was another hurtle standing in front of him. A lot of his fighters were former gang members with the chance of brighter futures with community service, scholarships and discipline under their belts. The police seemed to think he was just a new boss in town. Snatching up kids to form his own gang. Filling the void Reaper left. Having a contract with the department moved to start mending relations with the boys in blue which in turn would do a lot to help ease some of the adversity within the local communities. Because some people just always needed someone to be the enemy. Maybe it would be better if Gabe kept things between him and Jack semi-professional-fuck-buddies. It worked last time, for the most part.

“Besides he might not want more than what we have going on already.” Just like last time. Where Jack had no qualms about walking away with a firm handshake and smirk. Their positions at the time didn’t allow for anything stable or serious. But now things were different, he could venture to ask for more if he dared. Doubt bashed its way into his chest. “Can’t unring the bell.” The words spoken to the ceiling.

“Worst case scenario you lose the contract, all the good faith you built up, and Jack love-of-your-life Morrison.” Gabe peered into the stitching of the bag for answers, wrapping his arms around it to continue their climb. His search was interrupted by call from below.

“Gabe? You up there?”

Gabe freezes mid lift. The bag however slips from his sweaty grip and a thud echoes in the stairwell when it hits the step.

Shit.

He scrambles to readjust his grip stopping the bag from careening back down the stairs.

“Gabe?” Hurried footsteps make their way up the first flight of stairs.

Fuck.

“Yeah! Yep.” Gabe glances down the center of the stairwell to see Jack’s face poke into view looking up at him from the middle of the first landing.

“Thought I heard your voice. What are you doing?” Panic is crackling in Gabe’s chest. He tries to remember how loud he was talking. Sound carried fairly well in the echoey walls of the concrete stairwell but that doesn’t mean his words would have been understandable. Doesn’t mean Jack heard everything he just aired out into the open. _Idiot._

“Taking this heavy bag to the roof. It’s broken enough wrists down there. I can’t keep an eye on every hotshot thinking they know how to tackle this beast.”

“Is this the bag you told me about forever ago?”

“Mmhm”

“Who did it claim this time?”

“One of the new kids.”

“So you’re taking it up to the roof? All by yourself? Are you asking to be sent off in red and white lights?”

“Doubt me?”

“No, I think you’re stubborn enough to get the bag up there or die trying. Hernia be damned. But you don’t have too.”

“Sounds like you just volunteered. Or are you going to watch me struggle up the last two flights?” Jack lets out a sigh while dipping down to grab the bottom of the bag.

They bicker the entire way up.

“Go left.”

“Here?”

“No, you’re other left.”

“Oh, got’cha, military left.”

“Damn it Jack you’re doing that on purpose.”

“Gabe I’m waiting on you.”

“Excuse me for not wanting to fall up the stairs.”

“Fall up the stairs? Really?”

“Shut up.”

“Gabe you tell me one more time to pivot and I will drop this fucking bag.”

Finally, on the roof a breeze cools Gabe’s sweaty forehead. They switched the bag up onto their shoulders once they got to the finally landing. Gabe took note the garden was doing well when they passed it. At the far end of the rooftop was a shed he stored extra equipment. It ended up becoming his own personal workout space. The shed had an awning to cover a section of mats, a bench for presses, a stack of plates, and some free weights to throw around. A tractor tire was off to the side next to some coiled ropes. Gabe continued the battle within himself as they walked to the shed. Settled in his decision to broach the topic and risk it all, to ring the bell.

“Where we dropping this?” Jack says with a labored tone that Gabe knew to be fake.

“Figured we do a few laps.”

“I mean I could. The view is nice…but I have things to do. Important things.”

“I’m sure.” Gabe halts once on the mats and signals to Jack to drop the bag. They both let gravity do the work and the bag is dumped onto the ground.

“Hey I was wonderin’…” Jack turns away from his inspecting the rooftop. He hadn’t been up here yet. Gabe had meant to bring him up here. Gabe loves coming up to the roof. Too much light pollution to see any stars but the glow of the city was comforting. A sense of home always filled him. Jack looks to Gabe with a soft smile and open hearted blue eyes. Gabe takes a step to close the distance, bringing his hands to Jack’s waist. Jack raises an eyebrow and tilts his head at the motion. But he doesn’t pull back, giving Gabe a notch of courage. His heart does skips a beat when Jack leans into him and kisses him sweetly. It’s not their usual tactic. Speed and intensity is kind of their go to, slowing down like this makes a warmth spread in Gabe’s chest. He doesn’t say that having Jack back in his life completes him because he was a fully functioning individual beforehand, for the most part, but damn if things weren’t just better. He had someone he trusted. Who could relate to the things that haunt him. Laugh at his dark jokes. Pull him out of slumps he dipped into every now and then.

Jack’s hands made their way to Gabe’s biceps, thumbs sweeping back and forth, a fire in his eyes. The glint of the waning sunlight off his watch makes him glance at it, reading the time. A frown forms on his lips. Gabe pulls him in for another kiss, the frown signaling Jack’s soon to be departure. Their tongues seek each other out. Gabe sighs and Jack hums. Gabe’s hands slide up Jack’s sides, reaching around to fully hold him. Jack’s hum turns into a chuckle, when Gabe denies him chance to slip his leg between Gabe’s.

“Stopping by after your shift?” Gabe murmurs when they break apart.

 “Definitely.” Gabe loosens his hold for Jack to pull away, who shakes his head on the walk back to the stairway. Gabe watches him leave, looking away only when the door clicks shut. At his feet the bag stares up at him. Gabe narrows his eyes at it.

 “Shut up. I don’t want to hear it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags will change because sexy times happen next chapter. :D


End file.
